tonight, after more than 30 years behind bars, the bombshell decision that could lead to the menendez brothers going free 1989 killing o. the infamous case, lyle and erik menendez serving life for the 1989 killings of their parents. they say it was self-defense after years of abuse. today, the d.a. recommending they be resentenced after new evidence emerged. could they be released? and how soon? we question the d.a. just 12 days until the election, kamala harris bringing out the star power. a rally in georgia with barack obama and bruce springsteen. and now word beyonce will also join her on the trail. it comes after the vice president said she believes donald trump is a fascist.

mr. trump, meantime, blitzing two battlegrounds in the west, and his new vow, if he is re-elected, to fire special counsel jack smith. the ballots burned in a critical battleground, a mailbox set ablaze. the suspect under arrest. mcdonald's saying it's identified the source of the onions linked to its e. coli outbreak. the supplier issuing a recall she wound up in the hospital after eating . the fda investigating. and the mom who says she wound up in the hospital after eating mcdonald's. and the insect wrangler who overcame his fear to create a big buzz on social media. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. the menendez brothers, two of the most notorious killers of the last 35 years, could be eligible for release immediately, according to los angeles county district attorney george gascon, who has announced prosecutors will ask a court tomorrow to resentence lyle and erik menendez. they're currently serving life sentences

for the brutal shotgun murders of their parents inside their beverly hills home in 1989. the case captivated the country at the time and has been thrust back into the headlines by recent documentaries and calls for their calls for the release by family and celebrity supporters. at t release by family and celebrity supporters. at the crux of those calls, the brothers claim that their father had sexually abused them and that the killings were an act of self-defense. the d.a. saying tonight they have paid their dues. senior legal correspondent laura jarrett has more. >> reporter: after serving more than three decades behind bars, tonight, the menendez brothers may soon be on the verge of release. >> i believe that they have paid their debt to society. >> reporter: los angeles county district attorney george gascon announcing today his office will support a resentencing of erik and lyle menendez, convicted of murdering their parents in the beverly hills mansion, a case that captured

the nation's attention, one of the first to be televised.d for m. they wil >> we're going recommend to the court that the life without the possibility of parole be removed and that they will be sentenced for murder. they will be eligible for parole immediately. >> reporter: the d.a. under pressure to re-examine certain evidence of sexual abuse the brothers say they endured at the hands of their father, jose, then a high-powered music executive. >> i think that often for cultural reasons, we don't believe victims of sexual assault, whether they're women, or whether they're men. >> reporter: those claims dismissed by prosecutors at the time who argued they killed out of greed to get their inheritance money, and the abuse allegations were largely excluded by the judge, and the brothers were tried and convicted in 1996. but viewed in a new light now, gaining fresh attention with a peacock documentary and recent netflix series. and from pleas by celebrities and extended family

members who have called for their release. >> this decision is not just a legal matter. it is a recognition of the abuse my cousins endured. >> reporter: all that mounting pressure raised by critics of the d.a.'s decision who questioned its timing, as gascon faces a tough re-election in less than two weeks, and why he's acting now when the brothers' pending petition for freedom laying out evidence of the abuse was filed more than a year ago. mr. district attorney, when did you make the final decision in this case to recommend resentencing? >> the final decision was made today. i have been reviewing arguments within my office, both in support and against it. and i came to my final conclusion a few hours ago. >> reporter: why the timing so close to the election? >> this has nothing to do with the election. this has to do with the workflow to the office. >> so laura, this goes to court tomorrow. walk us through what happens next. >> reporter: yes, lester. the judge in this case still has to sign off on this recommendation

for resentencing so, we're likely to see a hearing on that set in the coming weeks. and the d.a. previewed not all in his office agree with this recommendation and may actually oppose it. >> all right, laura jarrett, thank you. just 12 days until election day, and vice president harris is in battleground georgia tonight to campaign with former president obama, after saying she thinks former president trump is a fascist. peter alexander has late details. >> reporter: vice president harris tonight ramping up efforts to get out the vote, joined by former president obama and rock legend bruce springsteen. michelle obama on saturday, and beyonce es is tt expected to perform at a harris rally in houston tomorrow. harris is trying to hammer home what she argues is the contrast with former president trump. >> donald trump will

sit in the oval office stewing, plotting revenge, retribution, writing out his enemies list, or what i will be doing which is responding to folks like the folks last night with a to-do list. >> reporter: at a televised town hall, harris highlighting trump's longest serving chief of staff john kelly, saying his former boss meets the definition of a fascist. >> do you think donald trump is a fascist? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: trump says kelly was lying out of pure trump derangement syndrome hatred. >> he just putting out a 911 call to the american people. >> reporter: harris was also asked about a frequent trump criticism of hers, that she's had nearly four years to make the changes she is now calling for. >> why wasn't any of that done over the last four years? >> well, there was a lot that was done, but there is more to do, anderson. and i'm pointing out things that need to be done that haven't been done but need to be done. >> reporter: and she was pressed for specifics on a border wall. she now backs a bill that funds some new construction, but she previously called a wall stupid.

you don't think it's stupid anymore. >> i think what he did and how he did it did not make much sense because he actually didn't do much of anything. >> but you do want to build some wall? >> i want to strengthen our border. >> reporter: meanwhile, polls show the vice president is facing an enthusiasm gap with black men. in philadelphia, we met harris supporter jeremy page. what it is about kamala harris that has you backing her so strongly? >> it is her being an advocate for small businesses and for economic development. >> reporter: gary blassingale is voting for trump. >> i like the way he speaks his mind. he says what everyone is thinking. >> reporter: but herod remains undecided. >> this is one of the few elections where i actually feel like we have been valued as black men. >> reporter: and here in georgia, more than 2 million people have already cast their ballots in person, a record, and a third of all the active voters in this state. lester? >> all right, peter, thank you. former president trump is in arizona, making controversial comments about the special counsel. garrett haake joins us. garrett, you're at

trump's rally tonight. >> reporter: lester, the former president was heavily focused on the border and the economy here, issues he believes will propel him in arizona and when he campaigns later tonight in nevada. tonight, with less than two weeks until election day, former president trump hitting critical battlegrounds, including the campus of arizona state. >> i will launch the largest deportation program in american history. we'll get them out. >> reporter: and overnight in georgia. >> i'd like to begin by asking a very simple question. are you better off now than you were four years ago? >> reporter: a new poll shows trump going into the final stretch leading vice president harris by two points nationally, within the margin of error, and showing most americans, 54%, disapprove of harris' job performance as vice president, while 52% approved of trump's performance as president. this morning, a clearly confident trump making a controversial vow, to fire special counsel

jack smith moments after taking office. >> oh, it's so easy, so easy. i would fire him within two seconds. >> reporter: saying he does not believe the house, even if controlled by democrats, would impeach him for a third time. >> no, i don't think they'll impeach me if i fire jack smith. jack smith is a scoundrel. >> reporter: smith, who was appointed by attorney general merrick garland, is prosecuting two cases against trump, one over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a second case involving trump's handling of classified documents was dismissed by a trump-appointed federal judge, a decision smith has appealed. the harris campaign responding, quote, donald trump thinks he is above the law, and that is a second trump term where a more unstable and unhinged trump has essentially no guardrail is guaranteed to be more dangerous. trump has called smith's prosecutions political, pointing to a recent statement by president biden. >> we got to lock him up. [ applause ] politically lock him up. lock him out. >> reporter: the white house says the president was just referring to politically defeating trump. >> he's not allowed to say that. he is such a stupid guy. >> reporter: garrett haake, nbc news, tempe, arizona.

young voters could hold a key to the outcome of this election, and tonight, a new nbc news stay tuned gen z poll finds a significant gender gap among these voters. savannah sellers met some of them in wisconsin. >> yeah, i've been knocking 30 hours a week since june. >> reporter: in green bay, college junior levi ott has been pounding the pavement for donald trump. >> i really like his policies, first and foremost. >> reporter: according to brand-new nbc news stay tuned poll of 18 to 29-year-olds, he is in the minority. half of gen z supporters support kamala harris, while 1/3 support trump, relatively unchanged from august. but when you break it down by gender, there is a divide. young women say they'll vote for harris over trump by a 33-point margin. young men are virtually evenly split. are you feeling like from the people you talk to from being on your college campus that people are moving more conservative? >> i do in general. i know definitely

young men are moving in the conservative direction, like massively. >> reporter: both genders say cost of living is their top issue. but while women ranked abortion next, men selected threats to democracy. 22-year-old tenicia supports harris. is there one singular issue that you think is the most motivating to people your age? >> for me and the people that i surround myself with, it's definitely reproductive rights. >> reporter: one of the starkest findings, 77% of young voters believe the country is on the wrong track, up 10 points from august. >> i feel like we're very much so moving in the incorrect direction. our country has become very, very divided. i was at a funeral a couple of months ago, and we were at a funeral, and people couldn't stop talking about politics. and that's not something that should be happening at all. >> reporter: 18-year-old landiron sees it a little differently. >> i believe we're kind of at a stalemate and constantly battling. i think it can get much better.

>> reporter: of course, the big question, will gen z voters show up to the polls? 58% said they're almost certain they will. >> they're going to come. they're going to vote. the youth turnout will decide who becomes the president. it's as simple as that. >> reporter: savannah sellers, green bay, wisconsin. breaking tonight, a new inquiry by the justice department and transportation departments into airline customer service and competition. all as boeing workers rejected the company's offer to end their strike. tom costello joins us. tom? >> reporter: yeah, lester, the transportation and justice departments are asking americans opinions on everything from air fares to anti-competitive behavior, as they consider new consumer protections. the industry tonight says air fares are already at historic lows. meanwhile, boeing says it is disappointed that 33,000 workers remain on the picket line tonight, having said no to the latest boeing contract offer. day 42 of the boeing strike, with assembly lines for the top selling 737, 767, and 777 still shut down after union members voted to reject the

company's latest contract offer. >> i voted no. and i'm feeling like they're continually trying to give us the bare minimum. and it's ridiculous. >> reporter: boeing's latest offer includes a 35% pay hike over four years. bonus and incentive pay, and bigger 401(k) contributions. but the union wants a 40% pay hike and a return of employee pensions, which the company scrapped ten years ago, leading to years of anger and animosity. >> if they're not willing to give it, we've got to get something that replaces it. >> reporter: the strike now enters week seven, with america's aviation giant still struggling, yesterday reporting a $6 billion quarterly loss. the new ceo says boeing must refocus on the engineering expertise that made it great. >> obviously, the later that the strike ends, the more impact that will have in terms of how fast we're able to recover.

>> reporter: in a year of big labor wins, including the dockworkers strike, boeing believes it has leverage, as airlines complain they're not getting the airplanes they ordered, affecting their ability to fly their schedules. lester? >> all right, tom, thank you. in 60 seconds, new details about the source of a deadly e. coli outbreak. we speak to a woman sent to the e.r. after she said she ate at mcdonald's. you love because? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. step back out there with fasenra. ask your doctor if it's right for you. (♪♪) life has twists and curls. but you define them and make them bounce. tresemme flawless curls defining mousse. 24 hour. hydrating curl definition. style your life the way you want.

♪♪ tresemme, style your way. mcdonald's says it has traced onions linked to its deadly e. coli outbreak to a california grower. that supplier issuing a recall and the fda launching a probe as a mom who says she was sickened in the outbreak speaks out. here is maggie vespa. >> reporter: tonight, amid a deadly e. coli outbreak tied to its quarter pounder, mcdonald's id'ing california-based taylor farms as the source of the potentially tainted onions. the fda investigating the supplier. distributor u.s. foods issuing this recall notice urging customers to destroy four taylor farms raw onion products.

the recall sparking a chain reaction in restaurants with no reports of illness. colorado-based illegal pete's along with taco bell, pizza hut, and others confirming they're removing fresh onions from select locations. taylor farms not responding to nbc's requests for comment, telling bloomberg it hasn't found traces of e. coli yet, but pulled the products out of an abundance of caution. meanwhile, lawsuits against mcdonald's mounting. >> we trust them as a fast food place. >> reporter: nebraska receptionist clarissa debock alleges she went to the e.r. with e. coli last month after eating a quarter pound with her 2-year-old son kai by her side. >> it's terrifying to think if that would have been a different outcome and he would have got it instead of me. >> reporter: the cdc said nearly 50 mcdonald's customers became infected and one died. do you have more plaintiffs getting on board? >> we do. we've been retained by 15 of the families in this outbreak. >> reporter:

mcdonald's today on wednesday stressing they pulled the onions and the quarter pounder in several states to protect customers from contaminated products. >> it's very likely worked itself through that supply chain already, but we're certainly working with the cdc and cooperating. >> reporter: an ongoing investigation into an iconic brand's crisis. maggie vespa, nbc news. there is more to tell you. coming up, amid violent incidents at a campaign office, our inside look at the elaborate effort to ramp up security in the key battleground county. as a police administrator. i oversee approximately 20 people and my memory just has to be sharp. and i realized, my memory was just changing. i did my own research and i decided to give prevagen a try. my memory became much sharper. i remembered more! i've been taking prevagen for four years now. it's a life-changer. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete,

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in arizona, a suspect is under arrest, accused of setting fire to a mailbox and damaging ballots. police say he told them it was not politically motivated, but the incident is just the latest election security concern. julia ainsley now on what's being done to protect the votes and the people counting them. >> reporter: snipers, drones, police on horseback, and several layers of fencing will surround the maricopa county collection and tabulation center come november 5th. is all that necessary? >> i would like to say it's not. we want to make sure if somebody is considering doing something and it's just a single actor, they will be deterred by the show of force. >> reporter: just today, 20 ballots were damaged after someone set fire to a mailbox in phoenix. and officials say the man arrested in tempe yesterday for allegedly shooting up a democratic field office had 250,000 rounds of ammunition and plans for a mass

casualty event. the election center already on alert after protesters surround it following the 2020 election. some of them claiming the vote had been stolen from donald trump. >> we didn't have all of the fencing, all of the badging, all of the metal detectors, and it was a scary time for us here. >> reporter: maricopa county supervisor bill gates says since then, the political tensions have turned into outright threats against him and his colleagues, even their children. his office receiving this voice mail in 2021. >> [ bleep ] traitor just like your [ bleep ] boss, you know. rigging the election for a little bit of dough, piece of [ bleep ]. >> reporter: how did that affect you? >> the threats and harassment affected me, but to the extent they started to threaten or mock our children. it affected me so much that literally i suffered from ptsd. >> reporter: did you ever imagine when you joined the county board of supervisors, you would be facing ptsd therapy, problems with your family because of it? >> no, not in a million years. i'm just one of many, literally thousands, tragically, across

this country who run elections who have had the same experience. >> reporter: hoping to reduce the threat of violence, the county is also making sure voters know their ballots are secure. to increase transparency, the maricopa election center has put cameras in rooms like these where people are taking ballots out of envelopes so anyone can watch them 24/7 online. however, some residents still have their doubts. >> what i hear around is that we are concerned that make sure all the ballots are counted. >> reporter: that's why gloria baddia signed up as a poll worker this year, to see the process herself. do you think there might be protests outside of the tabulation center, just like there were in 2020? >> i hope not. i'm wishing for the best. >> reporter: julia ainsley, nbc news, phoenix, arizona. and up next for us here tonight, the man who's all the buzz online after overcoming his fear of hornets. online after overcoming h

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a food supplier. and what makes e coli so dangerous? j finally, there is good news tonight about a self-proclaimed king who has faced his fears to become social media royalty. here is george solis. >> reporter: fred davis wears many hats. musician, farmer, licensed nurse, and social media star. >> thank you so much for tuning in. >> reporter: where millions watched this jack-of-all-trades don a more regal persona as the hornet king. >> it all kind of happened to me.

>> reporter: you could say he was destined to reign, but boy did it sting to get here. a good comic book origin story, perhaps, but this was real. this phobia started when you were a young boy? >> toddler, yeah. i was attacked by a ground nest. >> reporter: up until six years ago, when davis did what we joined him to do in rural pennsylvania, suit up and hit record. go after some hornets, conquering his fear with extreme exposure therapy. >> people who have the therapy or have other phobias who look to me and say oh, he conquered that. i can get over this. >> reporter: tens of millions watch davis has vanquished his fear with every hair-raising encounter. you're the king, i'm the jester? >> yeah. >> reporter: his sceptre, this high-powered vacuum. come a long way from the phobia days? >> absolutely. >> reporter: the hornet king's travels have taken him as far south as alabama, and all trips usually end in a feeding frenzy for his animals here in his kingdom, now fearless and celebrating his

crowning achievements. >> always striving to learn new things and discover what -- it's a yellowjacket. see? she knows. she knows. >> reporter: a moment fit for a hornet king. george solis, nbc news, philadelphia. >> i don't know. no, i know. that's "nightly news." thanks for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

with e coli. why health investigators are now looking at a northern california food supplier and what that food supplier is now saying about it. also, why is e coli so dangerous and why is it sometimes deadly? we're getting some insro